Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-10-26
THE ANARCHISTS CASE.


The United States Supreme Court will
tomorrow take hold Of the application for
a writ of error in the cases Of the Chicago
Anarchists. There is prevalent opinion
that this court does its work with more
elaboration than energy or raPidity, hut
this opinion would seem to be somewhat
unjust. Last week it surprised the law
yers who have sought the writ OF error
from that high tribunal, by promptly
dropping all other business and attending
TO the application Involving the lives Ofthe
men who eOuspired to create q "Ieigu OF
terror" in Chicago. No appellate court
accomplishes more in the way Of dispOsinG
of important cases that require both 10
search and elaborate discussion of princi
pies.
ten. PRYOR was startled when Justice
HARLAN declined to take the responsible
ily of granting writ Of error, in q case
where a State Supreme Court, familiar
with all the immense mass Of facts, had
rendered decision 80 notable for
ability, evident impartiality and ex-
haustiyeness, a. that given by the
highest court in Illinois The readiness
of the Federal Supreme Court to hear
the arguments OF the lawyers retained by
the Anarchists WAS probably no more
surprise to Gen. PRYOR than the rapidity
with which Chief Justice WAITE and
Justice MILLER disposed Of some of the
points on which days might easily have
been wasted la five minutes Justice
Miller eItorted the admission from Gen.
PRYOR that Que man who had read the
newspaper accounts Of the Anarchist
slaughter, and was otfefeJ as a Juror, was
not accepted as q juror. That saved at
least half = days talk. Again, the
Chief Justice, in response TO the
argument Of Gen PRYOR that
the Illinois statute had permitted
the acceptance Of jurors who might have
had prepossessionS and prejudices, in con-
sequence Of reading the newspapers, deci'
ded that ''the only question for this court
was whether the statute was constitution
al 1.-THE court erred iB it's administration
of the statute that was i question TOR the
State courts"
Then the Chief Justice, by = series o.
questions, aseertained from Gen. PRYOF
that the facts constituting the ground fol
one of his objections were not 50 referred
to in the printed petition that they could
bs found in the record. rhsreupOn tn
Court ordered Gen. PRYOR 10 have !!
printed lat once.
Thus, in very short time, the Cour
cleared the way for the speediest hearing
of the petition on its merits. fall court
of appeal would act with equal CELEBRITY
that sort Of denial of justice" which
comes from 1.-THE delays Ofthe Law" would
be largely diminished.
As there has been 80 much delay
in the execution of the sentences in thu
cases of the Chicago Anarchists, it Is 1
good thing that the peculiar and vastly
important questions that have been thrus'
into our courts by the imported methods
of the Anarchists, by means OF this whole
sale murder and threats of murder, shoult
be passed upon by the highest court IN tn
land. Its decision, whatever it may be
will be rendered feArlrssly. 1t will b
the decision Of the ablsst court in thu
world. It will command the confidence
and settle the opinions Of the great mas
OF Americas law-sbiding citizens. twill
go to all parts Of the civilized world, snC
all will know that Americans do no